What is Hybrid IT Support?

by Anna Trenary

As your company grows, so does its need for IT support. Adding IT support can a challenge, both for IT teams and business owners. Traditionally, companies either hired staff or outsourced IT support to a managed IT service provider (MSP). Both have advantages. Today, however, companies are choosing both under a hybrid IT support approach to get the best of both worlds.

What is Hybrid IT Support?

Hybrid IT Support means both a managed IT service provider and an internal IT department support the business. Some tasks are delegated and others are managed in-house.

“Companies who choose a hybrid IT support approach innovate faster and are more competitive”

A recent survey showed 47% of small to mid-sized companies currently use a hybrid IT support approach to meet their needs and budget. The attraction is the wide range of expertise the MSP provides, the costs and the ability to have uninterrupted support.

“Managed IT service providers are both cost-effective and versatile, making it is possible to balance workloads and provide support for the business as a whole”

Why both?

The goal of a managed IT service provider is to provide support where needed. The managed IT service provider may supplement support where gaps exist, provides expertise on specific brands or perform upgrades.

There used to be a war between IT departments and managed IT service providers, no doubt over job security. Today, however, more IT teams realize the benefits of working with MSPs and rely on them to help support their organizations.

Is a hybrid approach right for your business?

If your organization needs more IT support, here are the six main reasons to consider a hybrid IT approach:

Reduces Costs: Working with an MSP will save you money. MSPs have solutions to lower energy costs, telecom expenses and overhead. Also, their proactive approach helps predict and prevent technology issues. This cuts down the costs of IT repairs and frees up company resources and cash flow. The result is more profits!

Balance Workloads: IT departments today are being asked to do more with less. Many IT departments use MSPs for Tier 2 support to balance their workloads, focus on areas that need their attention most, and ensure nothing gets missed. Far from a luxury, Tier 2 support is a necessity for IT teams today. MSPs provide on demand help desk, remote and onsite support and even cybersecurity. They keep things running when the IT team is out of the office, on vacation or on their days off.

“Tier 2 support ensures the business is always supported, someone is always available to respond to requests, and teams are less stressed”

Upgrade Faster: A network upgrade, phone system upgrade or cloud migration can take a lot of time. For already taxed IT departments, these projects often fall behind daily management tasks. Under a hybrid IT support approach, companies can upgrade seamlessly and on schedule, as one team manages daily duties while the other executes tasks.

Better Network Security: Network security requires a specialist at the helm. Technology firms often specialize in network security. They go beyond basic anti-virus and firewalls to offer a wider range of solutions to detect, respond and prevent threats. They also offer specialized services such as managed cybersecurity, penetration testing and security policy development to improve network security. When paired with your internal team, this makes your network a force to be reckoned with.

More Expertise: Managed IT service firms employ experts in different areas of technology such as collaboration, cloud and cybersecurity. Under a hybrid IT approach, IT departments gain access to all the expertise of their entire team, resources and partnerships. They get to collaborate with experienced technology experts to solve problems faster, design better solutions and keep up with industry changes.

Perks: Managed IT service providers foster relationships with both organizations and manufacturers. As a result, they get perks such as exclusive pricing, access to programs, free product demonstrations, free equipment and financing options, all of which are passed on to their clients and their IT teams to improve technology.

If your organization is growing and your need additional support, consider adopting a hybrid IT approach to support your team.

Share your opinion! Do you use a hybrid or solo IT approach?

i-Tech Support, Inc. – The Technology to Achieve More

Established in 1999, i-Tech Support, Inc. offers world-class technology support to help businesses achieve more. With divisions dedicated to managed IT support, advanced technology, cybersecurity, cloud services, network assessments, software and consulting, our full service capabilities enable us to be a versatile technology partner for IT departments and businesses in Florida. We support you with the technology to achieve more.